Hearts Without Chains
by LipglossdnLetdown
Summary: Blake is a young medical resident in New York City. On one of the busiest nights in the ER, a certain superstar lands in a stretcher This was the beginning of something wonderful... or so she thought.
1. Chapter 1 - Sleep

Chapter 1 – Sleep

_Whoever said you can sleep when you die, clearly has never been a medical resident. The long hours are meant to train your body to expect the unexpected. You always have to be on top of your game. When someone's life is in your hands, it is your responsibility and soul purpose is to keep them alive. Sometimes you wish death would come early._

* * *

><p><em>June 20, 2010 - <em>_Columbia University Medical Center_

42 hours.

She had been working for 42 hours and had yet to sleep. Or eat. Finally, her pager had stop going off and ER had calm down. She was lying in the on call room, praying for sleep to take over. 30 minutes would be better than nothing. The moment she felt her eye lids getting heavy, that no good piece of shit technology they call a pager goes off. Her eyes snapped opened as the sound echoed through the small room.

Reaching for the phone next to the bed, she dialed the extension she has become accustomed to dialing the past shift.

"ER, this is Melissa"

"It's Blake."

"Darling! How are you? Where are you? Boy, do I have a treat for you." The girl on the other end of the line spoke in a thick fake English accent. "31 years old male, possible concussion."

Blake laughed at her friend. "Ok I'll be there in 5."

She pulled herself off the bed, stretching her arms over her head. Pulling on the pink zip up, she walked over to the mini fridge and pulled out the mango slices she had packed.

"_6 more hours. 6 hours and you're free"_ Blake kept repeating in her head.

Walking down the hall towards the ER, she happily munched on the mango slices humming to herself. In 2 months, Blake would be writing her final medical exam. She had job offers coming left and right from all over the country but she couldn't make a decision. Her contract at the hospital wasn't up until the following year; she knew she had time to think. Rounding the corner into the ER, she noticed how relatively quiet it was in comparison to earlier.

She spotted Melissa sitting at the nurses' station, talking with her coworkers.

"So what do you have for me, Mel?" Blake asked pulling her blonde hair into a ponytail, which reminded her she needed to get a haircut… BAD!

"I've got candy for you." The dark hair nurse replied

"You woke me up for candy? Seriously?"

"Oh, it's like candy. Man Candy."

Blake laughed walking around the desk grabbing the patient's chart. "Give me the low down"

"31 year old, male. Head injury, contusion to the right temple. BP 120 over 78. Equal breathe sounds. Alert and responsive, light sensitivity, headache. And absolute pantie dropper."

"Mel! Honestly"

"What? Wait until you see this man, Blake. I'm serious."

Blake shook her head as she read the notes. "Says he got hit with a chair. Who gets hit in the head with a chair?"

"Sexy man, that's who." Melissa grinned. "Oh I got him to take off his shirt for you. He's in bay 5. Do you need any assistance? I'd be glad to help."

"No I think I'll be fine. Thanks." She winked at Melissa making her way towards her patient.

Stopping in front of the bed, Blake looked up from the chart to find herself starring at the proclaimed man candy. He was lying down on the stretcher, eyes closed with his arm resting over his forehead.

"Hi Mr. Orton, I'm Dr. Vincent, How are you feeling?" Blake greeted her patient with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2 - Stay Awake

Chapter 2 – Stay Awake

_Responsibilities suck. Adulthood is overrated. Don't be fooled by everything you think being an adult means. We have to earn a living and take on everything the world throws at you. Responsibilities really suck. And when you're a resident, having someone's life in your hands, one wrong diagnosis can mean life or death. Hello! Talk about responsibility. Where was I heading with this? I don't remember anymore. Oh yeah… Stay awake._

Randy opened his eyes to the sound of the voice. He starred up at the lights on the ceiling, feeling a sharp stab behind his eyes. He didn't want to be here. He didn't need to be here. But management insisted he goes to the hospital. He just wanted to sleep. Shut out the world and sleep.

"Mr Orton?" Blake asked sweetly. She looked closely at the man in front of her. The dark hair, the tattoos, the muscles, the amazing body. _"Yup, definitely man candy"_ she thought to herself

"It's Randy." He replied with a raspy voice. "Hi doctor."

"I just need to do a quick exam. Do you mind sitting up for a moment?"

Randy slowly sat up, closing his eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry, this might be a bit cold" Blake stated as she placed the stethoscope to this back. A chill ran through his body.

"Damn doctor. That's more than a bit cold." He turned his head to look at the petite blonde and taken aback by her. He studied her closely, her long blonde locks, her crystal blue eyes, the pink zip up, black scrub pants and Chuck Taylor on her feet. She was way too good looking to be a doctor "Are you really a doctor?"

Blake laughed as she placed the stethoscope back around her neck. "Yes, I assure you I am. Look straight ahead please."

"You weren't put up to this by my friends? You're not a paid model, are you?"

Randy hissed as he was greeted by a blinding light in his right eye. "I'm sorry I'll be quick. And no, I wasn't. You can lie down"

"What's your name again?"

"Blake Vincent." She smiled at him as she quickly palpitate his abdomen.

"Why Blake?

"My parents were hoping for another boy." Melissa replied as she wrote in his chart.

"Harsh! Regardless, I like it. Remind me to give your parents props."

Blake laughed at his response. "I'm sure they'd love that. Randy, I will send you down for a CT and have a few other tests done. I think you may have a minor concussion. Nothing too serious. I'll send Melissa over to draw some blood. Sit tight"

"Is that the nurse who almost mounted me?"

"Unfortunately, yes. And she happens to be the best. And she's my cousin. Ignore her; she's a big much sometimes." Blake giggled as she turned to walk away. "And Randy? Put your shirt on. All my nurses are going to need to change their pants if you don't."

Randy chuckled at her comment. "Thanks doc."

Blake made her way to the nurses' station and handed the chart to Melissa.

"Melissa, start a shotgun work up. Call CT and tell them we have a patient we need a Head CT stat."

"Yes boss lady." Melissa saluted, grabbing her cart and making her way over to the patient.

"Mr. Orton, let's get started." She paused briefly as she looked at her now covered up patient before yelling. "Blake, you suck!"

_**TWO HOURS LATER**_

Nearing the end of her shift, Blake sat at the nurses' station finishing up her notes from the assignments from the night. She pulled up the x-ray from a patient she saw counselling and studied the image closely.

"Hey Mel?"

"I'm not talking to you." Melissa pouted from her seat, still upset with the doctor.

"Fine." Blake turned to the Hispanic nurse next to her. "Ana, can you please call the plaster room and have them send down a tech. Miss Harper in bay 11 needs a cast."

"Sure Dr. Vincent." Ana dialed the phone. "They'll be down in 20"

"Thank you Ana." She turned back to the chart in front of her, writing in the physician order for the cast. Checking her watch, the noticed the porter would be arriving any minute to bring Randy over to CT. Grabbing his chart, she made her way over to his bed to check his vitals before he left.

"Randy?"

Randy opened his eyes, blinking a few times before turning to face the person calling his name.

"I know you want to rest but I need to check your blood pressure quickly." Blake reached over and grabbed the blood pressure cuff before fastening it to Randy's arm.

"Do you know when I'll be having the CT scan?" Randy asked.

"The porter is on his way now to get you." She removed the cuff from his arm. "Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

Randy smiled up the doctor. "I'm good. Thank you. Anxious to get out of here though"

"It shouldn't be much longer. I'll have your scan results within an hour and I'll send you on your way."

"Bee, we've got a trauma coming in" Melissa said popping her head behind the curtain.

Blake turned to her patient giving an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Randy; I'll be back in a few."

"Someone page Dr. Vickers STAT." Blake ordered. "What do we have?"

"25 year old female found down in the park. Status: Post trauma. Head trauma. She came in with a GCS of 6 and BP 80 over 60. Examined significantly for blood, unequal breath sounds, right pupil dilated. She seized on route, was given diazepam and 2mg morazopam. Intubated on route." The paramedic snapped quickly.

"Ok people. Let's move her quickly." " Blake stated pulling on surgical gloves. "On my mark. 1, 2, 3." The nurses and doctor moved the patient from the gurney onto the bed.

"Good morning team." The tall handsome trauma doctor greeted as he walked through the E.R. "What do we have here?"

"Hi Dr. Vickers. 25 yr old female with blunt force trauma to the head. She seized on route and…" Blake was quickly interrupted by a screaming nurse.

"Code blue! Code blue!"

"Charge paddles to 200" Dr. Vickers instructed and grabbed the paddles.

Blake unzipped the shirt she was wearing and threw it on the ground. She jumped in and started chest compressions to the coding patient. "Push one of epi now"

From the bed, Randy could see everything unfold. His adrenaline started pumping, suddenly feeling light headed. He never in his life had seen something like this before. Sure, there's TV and movies. But this was real life. He was watching medical professional doing their jobs and it was truly fascinating.

"WAIT!" Melissa yelled and applied gel to paddles.

"CLEAR!" Dr. Vickers pressed the paddles to the patient's chests and delivered the shock.

"Still in V-FIB" Melissa replied as she started bagging the patient and Blake started on chest compressions once again.

Randy watched the small doctor putting all her weight onto the chest of the woman lying motionless. The hair falling over the left side of her face, the tension in her arms revealing every muscle, Randy was intrigued by his doctor and in that moment he decided he wanted to know more about her.

"Charging again. 19 seconds" another nurse stated.

"Charge to 300" Dr. Vickers barked the instructions "CLEAR!" a surge of electrical current traveling through the body of the patient.

"No Change" the nurse replied

"Charge again to 360" Dr. Vickers instructed once again.

"Come on!" Blake grunted pumping on the chest. "Fuck it"

"10 seconds Dr. Vickers"

Blake took a step back before delivering a hard punch to the patient's chest.

"Oh" Melissa covered her mouth to prevent a laugh from escaping. "Sinus rhythm. Blood pressure is coming up."

"Or that works too." Dr. Vickers laughed. "Good job Dr. Vincent.

"Thanks," Blake smiled removing the gloves from her hands and putting them in the garbage. "Call the OR, tell them we're coming up."

The sound of clapping echoed through the ER. Melissa looked around, finding the source and smiled.

"Good job doc" Randy smirked from his bed.


End file.
